The invention relates to a self-freshening litter box for litter using pets. More specifically, the device is constructed and arranged to replenish and dispose of soiled pet litter by employing a continuous litter support material, e.g. a roll of membranous material, which unrolls to reveal pet litter distributed thereon. Following litter soiling the membrane is advanced into a waste receptacle while simultaneously providing a fresh litter surface for subsequent use.
Domestic pets, for example ferrets, skunks, rabbits, and particularly cats, require the use of a litter box to maintain sanitary conditions in the home. Litter boxes have the disadvantage of producing unpleasant odors when the litter product is not changed on a routine basis. While not limited to a particular litter product, litter products useful in the instant invention may include various clays, wood chips, sawdust, straw, clumping materials, shredded polymers and mixtures thereof.
Used litter also creates health hazards for the occupants in the house.
General practice for most pet owners is to place litter in a plastic box. After an extended period of use by the pet, the pet owner discards the litter. However, many pet owners find it necessary to periodically remove the pet""s solid waste from the litter before discarding the entire contents to prevent the pet from tracking the waste out of the box upon its subsequent visits to the litter box.
The changing of soiled litter or manually separating solid waste from the used litter is an unpleasant and undesirable task contributing to the reluctance of pet owners to frequently change the litter. Pet litter not maintained on a routine basis may pose a greater health risk to humans or pets. Insects, such as houseflies, may transfer disease from the animal waste in the litter box to areas contacted by humans.
Toxoplasmosis, an infection of mammals, birds and reptiles, also common to humans and especially dangerous to pregnant women, can be transmitted by breathing contaminated dust particles from litter or handling soiled litter and cat feces during daily maintenance of the litter box.
A number of patented devices exist for separating solid waste from litter; some of these devices are automated while others utilize the physical characteristics of the litter to carry out the separation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,062 issued to Joy utilizes a disposable container filled with alternating layers of litter and paper attached to a motorized rotational device. When the litter is soiled the rotational device pulls the paper covered with the soiled litter into a disposable container. During operation, the sides of the disposable container can become errantly soiled. Because the disposable container remains in place for up to 7 days until the container is emptied, it may create an odor and bacteria problem. Additionally, because the litter is not contained, dust from the litter may become airborne when being pulled into or removed via the disposal container, thereby creating additional health hazards.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,048,465 and 6,289,847 issued to Carlisi utilize a tray for holding clumping litter. Also included is a rake member which moves laterally along the tray through the litter collecting solid waste. The solid waste is thereafter deposited into a collection module. Pet owners using this device must still replenish litter at the same frequency as a non-automatic litter box. During operation, the rake mechanism contacts waste material and is likely to accumulate residual waste, posing both sanitary and odor disadvantages. In addition, errant soiling of the exposed sides of the box require manual cleaning and create bacterial hazards.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,122 issued to Reinartz utilizes a flexible floor mat covered with litter. After the litter is soiled the mat is retracted to a vertical position pushing the litter off the mat into a container below. A hopper mounted above redistributes fresh litter on the mat as it returns to its original position.
During operation, the mat, sidewalls of the box, and the disposal box contact pet waste and may require manual cleaning to avoid odor and bacteria problems. Additionally, because the litter is not contained when being scraped into the disposal container, dust from the litter may become airborne during operation and create additional health hazards.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,011 issued to Strickland utilizes a rubber continuous conveyer covered with litter. After the litter is soiled the conveyer rotates and a rubber scraper pushes the soiled litter off the conveyer into a disposal container. Thereafter, a hopper mounted above the conveyer redistributes fresh litter on the conveyor.
During operation of the device, the conveyor and the rake mechanism contact pet waste and are likely to accumulate residual waste, posing both sanitary and odor disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,920 issued to Miksitz utilizes a litter supply bin mounted above a litter trough. Litter is distributed on the trough by oscillating movement of the supply bin. Continued oscillations of the supply bin push the spent litter in the trough to a collection receptacle. The collection receptacle may include a washing apparatus to spray water into the spent litter and carry the litter and animal waste to a sewer system.
There are many disadvantages associated with this system. Errant soiling and saturated litter in the trough area may create odor and sanitary problems. The design incorporating the washing apparatus requires a water supply and a sewer drain, and therefore lacks portability. In addition, not all types of litters are water-soluble and may create a clogging problem in drains.
Another example of an animal litter device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,648 issued to Ayle. The device utilizes a bottom tray filled with clumping litter. To separate the solid waste from the unused litter the pet owner attaches a top cover having a waste chute and a slide rail separator. A waste storage bag is attached to the waste chute and the entire device is lifted with a shaking motion. The slide rail diverts solid waste to the storage bag while the unused litter falls through the slide rail for redistribution on the bottom tray.
This device has many shortcomings. To operate the device, the entire litter box must be lifted to separate clumped litter from used litter. In addition to the litter box, extra parts such as the top cover, the chute and slide rail separator come into contact with the soiled litter causing residual soiling and sanitary problems. Lastly, some types of litters may not be as easily separated from clumps of solid waste as others, thereby creating operational difficulties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,006 utilizes a prepacked animal litter box, which contains multiple layers of litter absorbent contained in disposable bags. The bags are set within a cardboard box so that when one bag is used and subsequently discarded, its removal uncovers a succeeding disposable bag of litter. This device requires manual cleaning to maintain sanitary conditions and offers very little advantage over litter poured into a plastic box.
The above noted devices do not provide sufficient odor or bacteria control, and generally require handling of the used litter or manual cleaning of the litter containing area. In addition, many of the devices lack control of dust from the litter that may become airborne and create health hazards for the pet or the pet owner.
Accordingly, there is a need for a self-cleaning device which is capable of manual or automatic operation. The device should protect the owner from exposure to animal waste or contaminated surfaces as well as airborne litter dust.
The present invention is directed towards a self-freshening litter box assembly for litter using pets, which is capable of providing new litter and disposing of soiled litter for extended periods while minimizing human contact. The apparatus comprises a receptacle with a receiving area, a central area and a disposal area, a continuous litter support material illustrated by, but not limited to a spirally wound roll of membrane material containing litter and a traversing mechanism mounted to the receptacle for advancing the litter support material from the receiving area through the central area and on to the disposal area. The receiving area is constructed and arranged for facilitating the installation of the rotationally mounted roll of litter support material, which, when unrolled, reveals litter in the central area. Following litter soiling in the central area, the membrane is advanced to a disposable waste receptacle, or in the alternative, folded to cover the waste to be compressed by pinch rollers and advanced to a disposable waste receptacle. After the roll of litter support material is completely used, the waste receptacle is disposed of. To renew the system one merely loads a fresh cartridge of litter support material into the device and inserts a new waste receptacle into the disposal area and operation continues.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a new and improved pet litter system and method for its use. The device includes means for replenishing pet litter while virtually eliminating contact or exposure to soiled litter. The device takes into consideration pet and human hygiene, convenience, reduction of human maintenance, and exposure to unsanitary conditions.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a pet litter system which can be self-cleaning, and automatically disposes of soiled litter, which is capable of either manual or automatic operation, and which allows for operation over extended periods without human attention.
Yet an additional objective of the present invention is the introduction of replaceable rolls of litter material contained within a linear membrane of folded plastic or other medium designed to integrate with the litter system. Simultaneously, the membrane is advanced, opens to expose the litter, refolds to enclose the used litter, and continues to a disposal container.
A still further objective of the present invention is odor repression with the sanitary disposal of animal waste within an advancing roll of plastic membrane into a disposal container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a litter box and disposal container that protects the pet and the pet owner from exposure to animal waste, contaminated surfaces and airborne litter dust.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a totally renewable litter box that is easy to operate and reload.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.